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Farrah Bhatti, scientist

My story...

How did you become a scientist?
Nobody in my family had been to university but my parents were very keen that I and my brother do something with our lives. I went to a mixed Church of England school in West London. I really enjoyed practical science lessons. Doing experiments was really good fun.

As I got older, I became interested in how science can help people. My motivation was to come up with the next cure for cancer. I had a really fantastic chemistry teacher – really inspirational - and decided to do chemistry at university.

What did your parents think?
I think like many Asian parents, my mum and dad, who are both from Pakistan, would have loved it if I had become a doctor. I was always quite headstrong. I told them I didn’t want to have loads of money and be a doctor, I would rather be a poor scientist because that was what interested me. They were very supportive. They were pleased that I was going to go on to do something in a professional field.

Medical research
I did work experience in the pharmaceutical industry and then did a sandwich course at Imperial College in London. I worked for a year at Pfizer in Michigan, which is when I decided I wanted a career in medical research. I went on to do a PhD at Oxford but then realised that I didn’t want to be in the lab all day – it was too removed from everyday life.

How did you get into science policy?
It was pretty difficult at that point to decide what to do – but I went on a 3 day residential school for graduates, where someone mentioned the idea of science policy. I have always been interested in politics – I like watching Question Time with my dad. I made an appointment to see a careers adviser and the more I read about it, the more interested I became. It was a way of connecting people with science. You explore questions like, how do we feed the world’s growing population.

I joined the Royal Society of Chemistry as a graduate intern and then was promoted to a new role, working on sustainable food production.

What does your job involve now?
My current job has brought me closer to Government, working on energy and climate change. I work for the Select Committee that mirrors the Government department responsible for energy and climate change. The Committee is made up of MPs from all parties and their job is to scrutinise the work of the Department. I get to do things like read the new Renewable Energy Strategy announced by the Government and pick holes in it.

Have you faced any barriers along the way?
I have been fortunate and never experienced discrimination. It is a non-traditional job for a Muslim woman but I have never found it to be a problem. My faith and culture and my family upbringing have always inspired me to be the best I can be.

Working in Westminster, I am conscious that this is somewhere that Muslim women, and minority groups in general, don’t traditionally work. You are always aware of it in the back of your head. I feel that I have to work that bit harder so that people realise I am as good as the rest of them. More often than not the problem is in our own head, not out there.